2 Cor 12:9

In the past 24 hours, two unbelievable and outraging global events have been called to my attention (and probably yours). The first is what Kony is doing in Uganda. This video by Invisible Children went viral and exposed an unimaginable fate for young boys and girls.

The second is Tiny Hands International which was our Shalom project for Breakaway. Tiny Hands International is fighting a war on sex-trafficking in Nepal. They monitor the border between Nepal and India to intercept young girls before they make it to India to be beaten and sold until they die. This video is from a girl who was rescued after her family was tricked into selling their own daughter into the sex trade.

I sat in my apartment this afternoon and felt broken. I am so spoiled. I feel useless. Sure, I can try and spread the word...post it on my facebook, put it on my blog, but does that really do anything?? Even the people who are doing that are getting backlash for it.

"You're not an activist if all you do is post a video to facebook..."

Okay, that makes me feel like a fraud, but I do care. I feel a brokenness in my heart for these children, these countries. What can I do??

I prayed this before I started a lesson from Max Lucado's Experiencing the Heart of Jesus. Title for today's section? Everyone needs a miracle. New memory verse? You guessed it: 

2 Corinthians 12:9.

But He said "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 

In the lesson, Max says:

"You have nothing to give. But you are hurting. And all you have to offer him is your hurt."

Romans 8:26

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Proverbs 15:29

The Lord is far from the wicked but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

James 5:15-16

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

I underestimate the power of prayer. I don't do it often enough. I'm not earnest. My prayers aren't for how others are hurting, mostly they are ways to make my life better. Easier. More fun. I have big plans, God, so I really need these few things to fall into place, k, thanks!

But today, all I have to do is offer up my hurt.

I see movies like Taken and think that's all it is...movies. Surely this isn't happening. Or maybe it's happening..on the other side of the world..where I don't have to see it, almost never have to hear about it. I can go about my day without a worry, or at least without a real worry.

So, everyone can do something to help these causes. Pray. Keep informed about what's going on in the world and here in the US and bring those issues to God! He is big enough! He hears the prayers of the broken and he is made perfect in our weakness. Pray and let God do big things. Also, listen. Listen to what God is leading you to do, where he is telling you to go, who he wants you to talk to. Personally, this is so hard.

I love the song "What do I know of Holy" by Addison Road. Especially this line:

I tried to hear from Heaven, but I talked the whole time.

Back to the topic of social activism for one last comment. I'm reading the book Blue Like Jazz right now and thought Donald Miller had an interesting point when talking about a friend he refers to as Andrew the Protester (you get the idea):

"I started feeling very much like a hypocrite. More than my questions about the efficacy of social action were my questions about my own motives. Do I want social justice for the oppressed, or do I just want to be known as a socially active person? I spend 95% of my time thinking about myself anyway. I don't have to watch the evening news to see that the world is bad, I only have to look at myself. I am not browbeating myself here; I am only saying that true change, true life-giving, God-honoring change would have to start with the individual. I was the very problem I had been protesting. I wanted to make a sign that read "I AM THE PROBLEM!"

I realize this post is heavy and may be misconstrued as negative or self-deprecating. It's not meant to be that! It's meant to give HOPE! We are all weak and Paul says to boast in that because our God is strong! He is mighty to save!

the BIG event

Yesterday was The BIG Event in College Station. Over 15,000 students signed up to be a part of "the largest, one-day, student run service project in the nation where students of Texas A&M come together to say "Thank You" to the residents of Bryan/College Station." 

The Geology & Geophysics Society put together a group that split to two locations. There was some major confusion in the masses during registration, but [most of] our group found each other eventually and headed to a families house in Bryan and gave their metal fence a fresh coat of black paint. The family was so nice and really needed some help around their ranch--both parents had been in the hospital in Houston recently. We actually had a lot of fun hanging out and the weather isn't scorching hot yet which was an added bonus. 

The fences were pretty rusty and old. They looked SO MUCH BETTER with a coat of black paint.

We had an eclectic group of students--grad and undergrad who usually don't hang out all together, but we had so much fun laughing and singing eye of the tiger, la bomba, and teach me how to dougie. 

We used oil based paint which is pretty serious stuff. We called it "black tar paint" because it was so thick and oily. These trays were very convenient for carrying from place to place, but as we would bend over to get the lower bars, occasionally the black tar paint would spill all over the place. We successfully coated the fence, our shoes, clothes, hands [we had gloves], arms, faces for some, the concrete sidewalks [oops] and grass. Exibit A:

Exibit B: Poor Alyssa had almost no control over her paint bucket.

And did I mention that this ranch had HORSES and EMUS?? We waited until we finished the first section of the fence by the road to take an "emu break" so we were extra motivated in the morning. I don't spend much time around emus, and they are a little creepy. We decided they were straight from Jurassic Park, which makes sense because birds are the only living descendants of dinosaurs! They were pretty curious about us as well.

It seemed as though they could get aggressive at any moment, but they never made any moves even when the guys decided to get in their pin.

The sound they make is very odd as well. It sounds a lot like drum or deep popping sound. I tried to find a video, but it's really difficult to hear/capture. It's the kind of noise you would expect a dinosaur to make. 

The horses were cute too, and at times didn't seem too keen on sharing a pin with several ornery emus.

We had a great day and left feeling like we had really spruced up this families house. With all they're going through, they needed a little pick-me-up.

The Big Event is the largest, one-day, student-run service project in the nation where students of Texas A&M University come together to say "Thank You" to the residents of Bryan and College Station. For the past 28 years Aggie students have participated in this annual event to show their appreciation to the surrounding community by completing service projects such as yard work, window washing, and painting for community members. Although The Big Event has become the largest one-day, student-run service project in the nation, our message and our mission remains the same – to simply say “Thank You.”

shalom project update

About 4 weeks ago, I told you about the Shalom Project. I actually got the numbers wrong in the first post--our goal was to save 30 Restaveks in Haiti from child slavery and 5 girls in India from sex trafficking. In order to accomplish this goal we would need to raise over $27,000. 

This Tuesday Ben told us the final results and we had raised over $97,000!! People were still donating right before and after Breakaway this week and at 11:42pm Tuesday night the final count was up to $107,000!

Wow. God is doing big things in a college town in Texas and the effects are being felt around the world.

If I'm being honest, it's been the kind of week that makes me think what am I doing with my life?! Spring break could not come at a better time. I'm so ready to shop with my bff Danielle, paint a buffet topper with my mom, and hang out with my hard working beau on his vacation! We plan to see children riding sheep at the Houston Rodeo and jump over fire in the Conroe Warrior Dash! Oh ya.

Happy Spring!

GIVE! nail polish & freedom

This post contains 2 story lines. Stay with me.

1) A couple of weeks ago, I saw this post by Meredith over at Sweet T Family. I LOVE the idea of a blogger [or any] nail polish swap. I didn't know anyone, but I thought "what the heck, it's pretty impossible to have social awkwardness on the internet anyway." So I added my name to the list... 

2) Every Tuesday there is a huge bible study on campus at Texas A&M called Breakaway. Ben Stuart is amazing, and thousands of people come every week to worship and read through the word together. It has been one of my favorite things about A&M for the past 4+ years, but this past Tuesday I was worn out from two long days at work and school and just didn't feel like going. I had already made plans to go with a friend, so I went anyway and it was AWESOME. We are working through the book of Mark and every week is jam packed [in a good way]. It's funny how God works in you even when you feel you aren't open or prepared for it. Not only was Ben's message awesome, but he told us about a new "Shalom" Project we are starting next week... 

These stories fit together in a not so subtle way.

My partner in the polish swap was Abby. She is a super sweet girl and we ended up texting and emailing about school and nail polish [of course!] all week. I got Abby the color "You don't know Jacques." It's a fun gray/brown color with a ghetto-fabulous name.

Turns out I didn't know Jacques about what's STILL going on in Haiti. When the earthquake hit slightly over a year ago, I thought the celebs and political figures had it all taken care of. Turns out I was really wrong. 
The first organization in our Shalom Project at Breakaway is called Restavek Freedom Foundation. 

Restaveks are children in Haiti whose parents are not able to take care of them after their lives were shattered in the earthquake. They give their children to "upper-class" families in hopes they will have food, shelter, and education. In actuality, these children become slaves, oftentimes for sex. Restavek Freedom Foundation rescues these children, gives them love, education, and nourishment--all in the name of JESUS! For $360, one child can be taken care of for an entire year! Our goal at Breakaway is to fund 30 children for one year. Whatchu know about THAT, Jacques?!

Abby got me the color, Big Hair...Big Nails! I absolutely LOVE it!! It's such a summery and fun HOT red color that makes me want to sip a cold beverage by the pool. These "wintery mix" weather forecasts got nothin' on my nails! They are pure summer. 

It was SO MUCH FUN to open my mail box and see a little package with my name on it, so I can only imagine how the young girls in India feel when the As Our Own organization takes them in with the promise of a NEW LIFE! 
This is the second organization in the Shalom Project. Their "purpose statement" is amazing and explains the name perfectly.

"Our new name encompasses our true vision and lifelong commitment to each child: to care for her as our own—for life."

These girls mothers are often prostitutes [the amount of prostitutes in India is staggering] and when they are around 5 years old, they are sold in a duffel bag into the sex trade. As Our Own "adopts" these girls into their family and shows them the love of Jesus Christ that they, no doubt, have never heard of or felt before. For $3,300, As Our Own can save one girl for LIFE! Our goal at Breakaway is to give 10 girls a better life through As Our Own. We have a BIG GOD with BIG LOVE!

Thanks Meredith, for organizing such a fun polish swap. I love to check in and see what you and your sweet kiddos are up to. 
If you'd like to know more about the organizations above, check out their websites! I promise they are 100% legit. Also, if you'd like to know more about Breakaway, check out their site or download the podcast! Ben is awesome--he makes even the most confusing parts of the Bible applicable and keeps everyone interested with funny anecdotes. ALSO, Breakaway just released a CD called Breakaway//Live recorded last semester. It's mind blowing [my favorite is track 8, Radiate]. You should download it as fast as possible check it out on iTunes!!

Whew--this turned into quite a long post. Kudos if you made it this far.